The goal of the Round Table was to draw out the practical lessons learned on the ground about the participation of civil society and the private sector in the PRSP process; and to facilitate a dialogue between civil society members of the PRSP countries on their roles in the implementation of PRSPs. This report summarizes the variety of views expressed by participants throughout the discussions and identifies areas of broad consensus.
Explores democratic reform in the context of the 2000 Senegalese presidential election. The successful democratic transition is shown to have required more than institutional reform, as the gradual formation of democratic institutions resulted from a combinations of factors.
Field work in Senegal suggests that farmer's choice of market outlets is affected by social closeness. Social closeness provides a type of social safety net by decreasing transactions costs of exchanges and the impact of seasonal price fluctuations. Research in Senegal reveals a linkage between social closeness and economic decision making among millet farmers. Purchases of millet at the village level were found to be made at a lower price when made from another farmer than at another market outlet. The findings suggest that there are forms of activities and behaviors that serve to minimize risk with social closeness providing a type of social safety net.
This ten-country study from Africa looks at how the small-scale provider sector responds to market niches and meets the needs of both the poor and other unserviced communities.
A pre-workshop clinic was organized on October 27, 2000 for the Senegal country team at the request of the Senegal country economist. World Bank staff from various sectors together with IMF colleagues attended the session, which lasted about two hours. Since an I-PRSP had already been prepared by the authorities, the presentations and discussion focused on areas of potential weakness that could warrant focus in the context of preparation of the full PRSP. This presentation focused on the public spending component.
Countries worldwide are attempting difficult transitions from state-planned to market economies. Most of these countries have fragile democratic regimes that are threatened by the high social and political costs of reform. Governments--and ultimately societies--have to make hard choices about allocating scarce public resources as they undergo these transitions. A central, and often controversial question is how to protect vulnerable groups and the poor - what compensation, what "safety net" will be provided for them?
